ARTICLES ABOUT LOK SABHA BY DATE - PAGE 4

Exit polls on Saturday predicted an emphatic victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (AAP), which if confirmed by the actual results on Tuesday, would mean the first significant political setback for PM Narendra Modi since the BJP's sweeping victory in Parliamentary polls in May 2014. Since then, the BJP, led by what appeared to be the unassailable combination of PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah, had won three state Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, establishing the narrative of a seemingly irresistible Modi wave.

LUCKNOW: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said he was confident that BJP will get a clear majority in Delhi Assembly elections. "I am confident that BJP will get a clear majority in the Delhi Assembly elections," Singh told newspersons here. The former BJP President was answering a question as to whether his party was facing a tough challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal. When queried on the poll surveys predicting a tough competition from AAP , Singh remarked, "You must have seen other surveys as well in which BJP has been shown as leading.

AZAMGARH: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tall claims on black money during the Lok Sabha polls had "alerted the depositors to withdraw their money stashed in foreign banks". "Modi saheb gave lots of speeches during Lok Sabha elections that a lot of black money of the country is stashed in foreign banks.. by giving these speeches, you have alerted those who had deposited black money.. " Yadav who was here for the first time after winning the Lok Sabha election last year said at a public meeting.

NEW DELHI: Congress is expected to set the ball rolling next month for its organisational elections with its Vice President Rahul Gandhi expressing concern over the delay in the holding of the exercise which will come in the wake of a series of setbacks suffered by the party in recent polls. At a meeting today with senior party leaders to discuss issues related to the organisational elections, which is aimed at making the party fighting fit, Gandhi was also believed to have ruled out any extension of Congress's membership drive.

NEW DELHI: Congress today demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the nation on the black money issue in the wake of "shocking admission" by BJP Chief Amit Shah that the promise to deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank account of every family was just an 'electoral gimmick'. Coming down heavily on the Prime Minister and the BJP, party spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the "shocking admission" by the BJP President has "stunned the entire country with a sense of outrage and betrayal.

NEW DELHI: A search committee responsible for providing assistance in choosing chairperson and members for the Lokpal will be constituted after an amendment bill in this regard gets Parliament nod. A parliamentary committee is examining the Lokpal and Lokayuktas and Other Related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 8 last year. "The constitution of the search committee by the selection committee and other steps towards the selection of chairperson and members in Lokpal, as per the amended rules, can be processed only after the said bill is passed by Parliament," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)

VISAKHAPATNAM: Araku Lok Sabha MP K Geetha has tested positive for Swine Flu and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital here, health officials said today. According to District Medical and Health Officer J Sarojini, the Andhra Pradesh legislator was admitted to the hospital four days ago after suffering from fever and chest pain. Later her swab samples were sent to Hyderabad following which test reports confirmed that she had contracted the viral disease.

JAMMU: Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig today offered to resign from the Lok Sabha in the wake of attack over his statement on rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees in Jammu and Kashmir and for favouring party's alliance with BJP. He said he had written to PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed , saying if his intentions are "suspected", his letter of resignation from Parliament should be forwarded to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan...

LUCKNOW: Amid trading of barbs between main opposition Congress and the government over the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahahan today said a strong opposition was more important than LoP. On ruling through ordinances, she said it would be better if they were lesser in number. "What is the meaning of Leader of the Opposition. Instead of LoP, a strong opposition is more important. A strong opposition is one which raises its issues effectively.

LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today hoped that the three day-long Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies of the country here would led to uniformity in the functioning of state assemblies. "Conferences of this kind not only help in facilitating the process of deliberations on issues related to the procedural rules but also in bringing uniformity in the functioning of state assemblies," Yadav said in his inaugural speech. "The presiding officers through their experience and exchange of views in these conferences pave such a path that lends a helping hand to the efficient performance of state legislatures," he said.